Or even better: the urban green is your office. Nature Desks is about connecting nature, work and wellbeing. We believe that with the growing number of people working in cities our work environment is crucial for the way we perceive, deliver and enjoy work. Picture yourself on one of those mornings in a rush to your workplace. Do you remember passing by a green, quiet park and that you thought for a moment: “If I could just work here? Have meetings under a tree, discuss business plans on the shore of a lake and write my reports overlooking the park.” A growing number of scientific studies about work environments underline the importance of natural surroundings as a positive source for the wellbeing of the employees. Green areas in urban surroundings were designed to be used specifically for people to recharge their batteries after a day at the office. The cities we live in and the office buildings we work in were designed in a time when being flexible or mobile, and the necessity to maintain a healthy work-life balance, were not considered to be serious needs. They are now.
The Covid-19 crisis just accelerated this whole notion and pushed the need to be outdoors: never before have so many people in cities all over the world felt the need to work remotely from office or stay at home. People are much more aware they cannot live and work without nature. Green and blue areas in cities are essential. We have created home offices in our gardens, balconies, on our roof terraces and in front of our windows, hoping to catch a ray of sun shine. We have surrounded ourselves with plants. We have learned to grab every opportunity to go outdoors to do sports, walking meetings, work, perform, learn, relax and play. Breathing in the fresh air or watching the sky. Streets with no cars, where parking places have been transformed in meeting places. Suddenly everything is possible.
So work, take a deep breath, lunch outside, read in the grass, have a walk, swim outdoors and start working again. Working life in the city should be all about fresh air, creativity and wellbeing. This is Nature Desks.